NEWS
Earn More with Google’s Web Stories Playbook via @sejournal, @martinibuster
Google published a Web Stories Playbook that provides in-depth information on how to succeed with the new format. At over one hundred pages long the document begins with an overview and proceeds to progressively more advanced advice designed to encourage more traffic, engagement and earnings.
Web Stories
Web Stories is a new format that Google shows in Search and Discover. The format is designed to provide “snackable” content to consumers who are on the go.
But as the Web Stories Playbook makes clear the new format has many uses that can help publishers make their websites more engaging with site visitors and increase earnings from advertising or even affiliate links.
Web stories helps publishers reach new audiences. They can also keep visitors on the site longer to view more advertisements, the format can be used to convert visitors into sales or inspired to click on affiliate links.
Web stories can be monetized in multiple ways, including affiliate links, sponsored content, programmatic ads or directly sold advertisements.
Google also provides support in the form of a WordPress plugin that makes it easy to create Web Stories.
The new playbook is intended to teach publishers how to incorporate web stories into a website.
Screenshot of a Page from the Web Stories Playbook
Although the Web Stories Playbook is over one hundred pages long, each page contains two paragraphs or less of words. This format makes it easy to read and understand.
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What’s Inside the Web Stories Playbook
The playbook is divided into three sections:
- Overview
Describes how web stories are useful to publishers for finding new audiences and giving them a faster way to consume content. - Entry Points
Describes the different ways web stories can integrate into a website, and how to customize how site visitors engage with them. - More Design Details
Offers a comprehensive review of best practices in design for encouraging more engagement with readers.
This is how the Web Stories Playbook describes its purpose:
“Get the most out of Web Stories.
This playbook will help you incorporate Web Stories into your website, so you can reach new audiences and help readers connect with content they’ll love.”
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Entry Points
The Entry Points and More Design Details section cover their topics in depth. For example there are five different kinds of “entry points” that the playbook focuses on one by one so that a publisher will attain an expert level of understanding.
The Entry Points section describes how there are five different entry points:
- Singleton
- Carousel
- Compact display
- Author highlight
- Dedicated page
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Next it shows one by one how the five different “entry points” fit into a web page as part of an overall strategy for engaging visitors.
Lastly, this section links to a Design Kit where files can be downloaded and used to create the different entry points.
Screenshot of Web Stories Design Kit Page
More Design Details: Best Practices
In the More Design Details section the playbook teaches best practices for content and page layout then moves on to how to customize the web stories further.
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Screenshot of an Overview Page from the Web Stories Playbook
The document ends with links to three more resources:
- Guide to Using Stories on your Site
- Web Story tools and CMSes
- Technical Documentation for Web Stories
The guide links to a Web Stories GitHub and Slack channel but the Slack link appears to be broken…
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Screenshot Showing the Carousels Page from the Web Stories Playbook
Download the Web Stories Playbook
Google’s web stories playbook is over one hundred pages long but most pages are full of illustrations that show the best practices and lessons. So it’s not as long as it may appear to be.
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Nevertheless there’s quite a bit of useful information for publishers of all skill levels with the web stories format.
Citations
Read the official announcement
Raise the visibility of Your Web Stories
Download the playbook:
Web Stories Experience Playbook (PDF)
NEWS
OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models
OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.
Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.
Why Fine-Tuning Matters
GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.
Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.
Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning
The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:
- Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
- Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
- Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.
Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.
Implications for the Future
The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.
By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.
OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.
As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.
This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update
Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:
1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update
Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.
2. Changes to Google Search Interface
Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.
3. New Features and Tests
- Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
- Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
- Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.
4. Search Rankings and Quality
- Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
- Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.
5. Advice for Content Creators
- Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
- Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.
6. New Search Features in Google Chrome
Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.
7. New Tests and Features in Google Search
- Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
- Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.
8. Bing’s New Feature
Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.
9. Local Search Ranking Factors
Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.
10. Google Ads Updates
- Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
- Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
- tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
- WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.
These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.
Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again
Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.
Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.
This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.
Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.
When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.
Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.
During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.
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